Banner Check

[thpbears]

Got to see a banner check today at Yuma,VA. They had a white banner across one of the double tracks that said Obstruction. Stop. So do they check every train coming down the main or just certain ones ? What do they do during these checks? I see hats and stuff that say something to the effect I passed a banner check.

[Ptrainman]

They shunt the signal curcuit so the train cant get a signal in to the block and have to work by a stop signal at restricted speed lookink out. You have to stop before the banner or you fail. As far as I know it is a random thing that checks to see if crews comply with restricted speed rules.


Paul

[Ponce de Leon]

It's strictly random. They might perform a rules check on one train...and that's it (most often, that's the case).

[lwjabo]

A Engineer has to be flagged with a banner ever so many months. Might be once a year. Often when they banter check they do several trains but after a few most crews figure it out and no doubt with cell phones some get a phone call telling where they are checking. The trainmasters and road formans do saturation checks and when they do they check every crew for something. Trainmasters even have a check list for every employee on there district and are required to check every one of them ever so often. Some are simple. sit at some point and aim the radar and see if speeding. Also listen if crew is calling the signals ect.

[thpbears]

Interesting. I heard the dispatcher tell them they could not get the signal to change so proceed at restricted speed.